June 12, 2010 | 30 Sivan 5770 

I love classic rock music. Summer is the time when all of the 1970’s bands tour. I love it.  Most of the concerts are wonderful. They bring me back to a good time in my life as I listen to these musicians and singers whose abilities, for the most part, haven’t been diminished by the years. But there are exceptions. I recently heard one of those “exceptions.” As I listened I cringed and thought, “Boy, you have to know when to stop and call it a career.”

I have often had a similar thought as I see Moses toward the beginning of this week’s parasha.

Now Korach…betook himself…against Moses and Aaron…and said…, “You have gone too far!  For all the community are holy, all of them, and the Lord is in their midst. Why then do you raise yourselves above the Lord’s congregation?”  When Moses heard this, he fell on his face. (Number 16:1 – 4)

Why does Moses “fall on his face?” My image is of a leader that has lost his effectiveness. Perhaps Moses, beaten down by the years and the many challenges of the people as they moved toward the Land of Israel, is simply no longer able to decisively face another challenge. It is time for him to retire. 

The medieval commentator, Rashi, appears to share a similar thought.

“he fell on his face...” – because of the rebellion, for this was already the fourth offense on the part of the Israelites (and on each occasion Moses had to beseech God to forgive the people). But now at the rebellion of Korach, his hands sank down (he felt himself powerless).”

But the continuation of the Torah itself would seem to prove otherwise. Immediately after “falling on his face,” Moses turns to Korach and says,

Come morning, the Lord will make known who is His and who is holy, and will grant him access to Himself: He will grant access to the one He has chosen. (Numbers 16:5)

Far from shrinking in defeat, Moses responds quite decisively to the challenge. Of course, we know the outcome. Korach and his followers quickly meet their end at God’s Hand, and Moses continues as the unchallenged leader of the Israelites.

What happened between the powerless (Rashi’s term) Moses of verse 4 and the decisive Moses of verse 5?  Though the Torah narrative reads as if one moment immediately followed the next, I imagine it differently. I imagine that some time elapsed. I imagine that Moses engaged in some kind of personal renewal process.  I can only venture a guess at its nature…probably reflection that enabled him once again to realize his place in the community and the strong leadership abilities he still possessed. Girded by that reflection and realization, Moses could return to Korach and respond without doubts.

Though we may never face the challenges Moses faced …we, too, face some daunting challenges. Even when challenges don’t assault our self-confidence or image, sometimes just the daily grind of life tires us and we shrink from doing that which we are capable of doing. When those moments occur, we must seek not to do what comes naturally at that point and give up. Like Moses, we must step away long enough and do whatever is necessary to regain a truer sense of ourselves. Then we will succeed.

Shabbat Shalom.